Tsugunaga Momoko: Leaving with her pinky up

Tsugunaga Momoko will be graduating from Country Girls and Hello!Project tomorrow.

Momochii has been in Hello!Project for over 15 years and will now become a kindergarten teacher!

Ahhhh, The last of Hello!Pro kids is going to graduate and her graduation is already tomorrow.

I can not believe how fast this day has come.

Graduations are hard. It is weird to see a girl grow and do all these amazing things in Hello!Project and then one day they graduate and you never see them anymore.

And Momochii, well she is the idols of idols. She is in the same range as Michishige Sayumi if you ask me. Momo has been active for 15 years, she has been in many succesful groups and hse has even had her own solo songs and now even an album!

Momoko is not only an amazing idol, but she has also shown us these last few years what an awsome mentor she has been to Country Girls. It must have been really hard on her to be the only one of her group not wanting to graduate and transfer to another group with a lot of younger girls. 

Not to mention losing two members without actual graduations and now seeing that group become a part-time group.

Momoko hasn't really been high in my rankings, in both Berryz and Buono! she was at the bottom of my favorites list. Yet I always appreciated her voice and how dedicated she was to being an idol.

When I met Momoko I was so suprised at how active she was during the handshake. She was really paying attention to me and talking to me loud and clear. Momoko is first of all tiny! She is really small, but her big smile makes up for it. She was super friendly and kept shaking my hand. I told her Hello in English and she told me to say it properly in Japanese: Say "Konnichi-wa Momochi"! (the say was in english). She actually waited until I could say it and smiled so warm at me when I finally said it. Arigatou Nee~ She called when I had to leave. She left a big impression on me that day. An Idol she is. When Momo joined Country Girls we got to see such a different side of her. I loved her dedication to her group and girls. She was pushing them to be the center of attention instead of her. She let them make fun of her and had them talk before her. It was refreshing and amazing to see. 

I am really happy for Momoko she will be taking the next step in her life. She already finished University next to her job as an idol and now she will become a kindergarten teacher.

I am so sure she will do amazing! She will be such a great teacher and I am sure all kids will love her.

Yet to think that Momoko is leaving and leaving behind a broken Country Girls. It's so sad.

Dearest Momoko,

Thank you for all your years as an idol.

We have been lucky to see you preform and talk to you.

You have set a great example for many young idols.

I hope all your dreams will come true.

We will always be waiting for you!